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Port Visa - Urgent Entry

ChinaShort stays and visits

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in China Read the five questions ↓

For the relevant traveller scope, is a visa, electronic authorisation, visa on arrival or no advance visa normally required?

A port visa may be requested for the documented urgent humanitarian, business, engineering-repair or other urgent circumstances recognised by the guide. It is not general visa-on-arrival eligibility for every traveller.

See recorded sources
  • I applicant scope
    Foreigners who need to enter China urgently for humanitarian reasons, or are invited to enter China for urgent business activities or engineering repair, or have other urgent needs, and hold supporting materials approved by relevant competent departments to apply for visas at entry ports;

What short-visit purposes does this route cover?

The authority issues the visa category corresponding to the substantiated urgent purpose. Qualified agency-organized tourist groups are also within the listed port-visa mechanism.

See recorded sources
  • I applicant scope
    Foreigners who need to enter China urgently for humanitarian reasons, or are invited to enter China for urgent business activities or engineering repair, or have other urgent needs, and hold supporting materials approved by relevant competent departments to apply for visas at entry ports;
  • I group scope
    Foreign tour groups that are organized and invited by approved travel agencies with corresponding qualifications.
  • VI
    Port visa authorities shall issue corresponding types of visas based on the applicants' reasons for entry, and the visas issued are valid for a single entry.

What maximum stay, rolling-period rule, validity and entry rules apply?

Port visas are single-entry. Individual visas have an entry-validity window of up to five days and stay up to 30 days; group-tour visas have an entry window up to 15 days and stay up to 30 days. Area or exit-port restrictions can be added.

See recorded sources
  • VI validity
    For individual visas, the validity period for entry shall not exceed 5 days and the duration of stay shall not exceed 30 days. For group tourist visas, the validity period for entry shall not exceed 15 days and the duration of stay shall not exceed 30 days. Under special circumstances, port visa authorities may impose restrictions and specify them in visas on matters such as the stay areas for foreigners after their entry and the ports of exit.
  • VI
    Port visa authorities shall issue corresponding types of visas based on the applicants' reasons for entry, and the visas issued are valid for a single entry.

What important funds, accommodation, invitation, insurance, onward-travel or passport evidence may be required?

Applicants supply a valid passport/travel document, port-visa form, compliant photo and invitation plus documents explaining urgency or the qualified travel-agency invitation. Purpose-specific supporting evidence and authority inquiries apply.

See recorded sources
  • IV general documents
    To apply for a port visa, the applicant shall submit a valid passport or other international travel documents, fill in the Port Visa Application Form, submit personal photos that meet specified requirements. The applicant is also required to present an invitation letter as well as supporting materials provided by relevant competent departments or the inviting entity (or individual) that state the matters for urgent entry or present the invitation letter provided by a travel agency.
  • IV verification
    Foreigners who apply for port visas shall accept the inquiries from port visa authorities. If the port visa authorities need to verify relevant information with the inviting entity (or individual), the entity (or individual) shall provide necessary assistance.

Where/how is permission obtained when required, and under what important circumstances can a stay be extended or changed?

An individual can apply to the port-visa authority on arrival; an inviter can apply in advance, while the inviting travel agency files for a tour group. Individuals enter through the issuing port; qualifying groups may use open ports. Any stated movement or exit restrictions apply.

See recorded sources
  • III(1)
    1. For an individual applying for a port visa, the applicant may submit the application to the port visa authority on their arrival at the entry port.
  • III(2)
    2. For a tour group applying for port visas, the travel agency that invites the tour group and organizes the tour shall submit the application to the port visa authority.
  • III(3)
    3. The inviting entity (or individual) may file an application to the local port visa authority on behalf of a foreigner before the latter's arrival at the port of entry. If the inviting entity (or individual) files an application to a non-local port visa authority on behalf of a foreigner, the application may be forwarded through the exit-entry authorities of public security organs at or above prefecture level in the submitter's location.
  • VIII(2)
    2. A foreigner who holds a port visa shall enter China through the port where the issuing authority is located, while a tour group can enter China through any of the open ports. Under special circumstances, foreigners shall stay in specified areas and leave the country through specified ports in accordance with the requirements of port visa authorities.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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